Alumni & Giving

You’re networked for life

When you receive your degree from the College of Arts and Sciences, you join an accomplished group of more than 150,000 alumni. From the president of Ireland to bestselling authors to a doctor who developed a cure for testicular cancer, College alumni are making names for themselves.

Others have made successful, meaningful lives outside of the spotlight as CEOs, nonprofit leaders, and software engineers. And you’re a part of our family.

microbiology & management

Bob Chapek, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, earned his degree in microbiology from the College of Arts & Sciences.

We want to hear from you

Your involvement with the College doesn’t have to end when you graduate. The connections you make in your life can benefit the university in so many meaningful ways. You can get involved—or give a financial gift if you choose. You can attend alumni events across the nation or events hosted by your school or department.

And you can come back to Bloomington as a guest of the College Luminaries program or for campus events such as the annual College Awards Dinner, departmental reunions, or lectures. But you don’t have to wait for a special occasion—we’d love to see you back on campus or hear from you at any time.

ethnomusicology & pop

By the time IU alumnus Nitish Kulkarni was in high school, he knew that no university would offer a clear path to his desired career in music production and organology. He began pursuing a business degree, but in his third semester he realized that his creative energy was tapped out. He was no longer composing.

“Ultimately I had to make a choice—stick with the ‘safe and practical’ route in business knowing full well that my artistic talent was going to waste, or pursue my true passion in a field that is much less predictable? I ended up choosing to chase after the thing I was meant to do—write music.”

Nitish pursued his passion through the College’s Individualized Major Program, where he took courses in audiology, psychology, composition, acoustics, and more. He wanted to understand everything about musical instruments and sound, from how recording artists create and produce music to how listeners process and consume music.

An internship at Bloomington-based rock paper scissors, a music and technology public relations firm, led to Nitish getting his own recording contract. He creates new age music using instruments and sounds from around the world.

Nitish graduated from IU in 2015 with his B.A. in Organology and Music Production. He’s currently in Valencia, Spain, getting a master’s in Music Production, Technology, and Innovation at Berklee College of Music.